In a powerful display of support for Nigeria’s youthful population, Apostle Lawrence Achudume of Victory Life Bible Church International, disbursed ₦15 million to talented young entrepreneurs across multiple sectors including catering, logistics, tailoring, fashion designing, and shoe-making after the end of the church’s impactful Youth On Fire Convention.
Speaking with journalists after the event, the cleric noted, “This wasn’t a handout; it was a strategic investment. The beneficiaries underwent a tough selection process marked by stringent proposal reviews and hands-on intensive mentoring, underscoring the seriousness of the empowerment drive.
According to Apostle Achudume, the young recipients were segmented into three distinct categories: the first enjoyed fully sponsored training in cutting-edge areas like graphic design; the second category went away with financial empowerment plus brand-new sewing machines while the third group got financial grants ranging from ₦300,000 to a whopping ₦3 million, to boost their entrepreneurial pursuits.
“We need our young people to be catalysts of change, crafting jobs not merely for themselves but for others too,” Apostle Achudume declared emphatically spotlighting youth as pivotal players in Nigeria’s developmental narrative.
“Our goal is to render them reliable, capable, self-reliant with the means to stand tall, dream expansively, and actualize those dreams in manners that elevate both themselves and our great nation,” he articulated. “In today’s Nigeria, we hunger for initiatives nurturing youth viability – for when youths flourish, the entire nation prospers.”
Apostle Achudume also informed that the gesture was in loving tribute to his late wife, Reverend Fola Achudume, whose passion for youth development and entrepreneurial growth was unparalleled. “This act honours my wife, Reverend Fola Achudume, deeply devoted to youth progression and business entrepreneurship.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Wole Elusakin, Founder and CEO of Pomegranate Nigeria Limited working in tandem with esteemed academic Professor Eniola Fabusoro and celebrated philanthropist Dr Toyin Banjo in beneficiary selection affirmed, “Youths represent tomorrow’s trajectory, craving an ecosystem allowing them to excel unbounded. We impressed upon them unyielding focus and limitless ambition chasing success. This process was uncompromising, entailing meticulous proposals and profound mentoring. These beneficiaries weren’t gifted ‘free largesse’; they have been slated for follow-ups, added mentorship, and growth training.
He added, “Investing in Nigeria’s youths is investing synergistically in our shared tomorrow.”
